AN: I'm not going to lie, I'm really nervous about this one, and most of that comes from the rating it has. So much so that I've been holding off on posting this since December. I'm no stranger to writing mature content, but this is the first time I've posted something like that here, and I also don't intend to take it down after fourteen hours either like I did with the other one. I may also not respond to every review I get on this story either as a heads up. So... I guess with that little disclaimer out of the way you can go ahead and read this now.

~Intimate Healing~

Snowflakes swirled in the frigid air, chilling the twenty-three year old to the bone as he struggled to make his way back to the mansion while attempting to keep his passed-out partner from falling to the snow below.

"Just a little farther, Mar," Sonic mumbled as he trudged along, adjusting Mario's arm on his shoulder, trying to ignore the crimson liquid dripping onto the pale ground from the twenty-eight year old's arm. "Don't worry, I won't let anythin' else happen to ya."

Mario made no response, but Sonic wasn't really expecting one in the first place since, y'know, he was unconscious. He sighed in relief as the mansion came into view, and once again adjusting Mario on his shoulder murmured, "We're right here, Mar. Don't worry - I'll be able to heal you soon."

"Sonic!"

Sonic glanced up to find Link making his way outside, concern gracing his features as his eyes fell to the unconscious Smasher Sonic was carrying. "Geez, what happened?"

"We were trainin', an' then some Primid bastards showed up an' surrounded us." Sonic summarized, shifting his weight. Link immediately wrapped Mario's other arm around his shoulder to help take some of the weight off of Sonic.

"Come on, let's get you two inside to the infirmary." Link murmured, pushing open the door to the mansion.

The infirmary was thankfully empty at the moment, and Sonic gently lay Mario down on one of the cots with Link's help. Immediately Link took a look at his wounds and grimaced. "Man, they're bad this time."

"I know."

Link locked eyes with Sonic. "You think you'll be able to... heal him? Fully heal him?"

Sonic's eyes trailed to Mario's face, gently tracing a gash that miraculously healed itself from his touch. Something that he and only he could do. "Yeah..."

When someone found their bonded soulmate they gained the ability to heal them through physical contact, speeding up the healing process. The level of physical contact depended on the scale of the injuries, from simple hugging for scratch wounds to complete intimacy for something more severe. For Mario and Sonic, the furthest they'd ever gone was a heated makeout session when an entity known as The Swarm had invaded, causing serious wounds on the both of them.

Link politely stepped away from the lovers. "I'll leave you two be then."

Sonic waited until Link had closed the door and locked it before gently caressing Mario's face, a couple of bruises vanishing in an instant. Sonic cautiously leaned in closer to Mario, tilting his head and gently pressing their lips together, pulling away a moment later and watching as a few minor cuts stitched themselves back together. And while it obviously wasn't enough to heal him fully, some of the bleeding had stopped and it was enough for Mario to regain consciousness, coughing once before his eyes fluttered open.

"Mar..." Sonic sighed in relief, pressing their foreheads together.

"Sonic..." Mario blinked, disoriented. "What happened?" he asked, his voice barely higher than a whisper.

"Primids got ya," Sonic explained. "Got me a bit too, but you got the worst of it. Don't worry though, 'cause I'm gonna heal you an' then you'll be good as new."

Mario blinked as his eyes scanned over his body, taking in the severity of his wounds. Wounds that were much worse than when The Swarm had attacked. His breath caught in his throat as he realized just how intimate they'd need to be for everything to heal. "But... we'll have to..." he stammered nervously, butterflies filling his stomach.

"I know," Sonic replied, heart hammering in his chest. "I'm nervous too, an' if you don't want to we can wrap up your wounds an' let them heal the old fashioned way."

"I... only want this if you do." Mario admitted. His blue eyes met Sonic's green. "Do you want...?"

Sonic gave a small smile and nodded, leaning in and pressing his lips to Mario's yet again. Mario felt the warming effect of the healing spreading through his body as Sonic's lips traveled down to his jaw, his neck, his collarbone; Sonic lifting his shirt over his head and kissing the gashes along his chest. Mario moaned and ran a hand through Sonic's hair as Sonic went lower, playfully flicking his tongue over his bellybutton before he paused, lifting his eyes to meet Mario's. His fingers played with the elastic of his sweatpants and boxers, and Mario shuddered as one of Sonic's fingers brushed over his hipbone.

"Are you ready?" Sonic whispered.

"I'm ready." Mario confirmed.

With that Sonic lifted the cot blanket over them and shedding the rest of their clothes allowed their love to do the rest.

/~/

Sonic panted heavily, exhausted after the intimate healing had taken place. He lay with his back to Mario, a light blush on his face as he really took in what he and Mario had finally done. It had finally happened... and he was glad they waited for something like this. To him, it made the experience that much sweeter.

Suddenly, Sonic felt a pair of arms around him and Mario kissed his tan shoulder, his mustache tickling Sonic's bare skin. "Grazie." Mario whispered in his ear, and Sonic smiled and twisted his body so he was fully facing Mario, joining their lips together in a weak kiss.

"You're welcome." Sonic murmured, tucking his head underneath Mario's chin and listening to the thumping of his heart. His heart that pumped blood throughout his body that wasn't covered in cuts thanks to him...

Mario ran his fingers up and down Sonic's spine making Sonic shiver and jolt in pleasure before he whispered one more thing to Sonic.

"Ti amo."

Sonic let out a low chuckle and pressed his lips to Mario's chest before he lifted his head so their eyes could meet. "I love you too." he murmured before he snuggled back into Mario's embrace, figuring that they could give themselves a few more minutes to enjoy the afterglow.